Rockland police charge Portland man with kidnapping, eluding an officer

Thu, 09/29/2016 - 2:30pm

    ROCKLAND — A Portland man is under arrest on charges of kidnapping and eluding an officer after he allegedly attacked a woman in Rockland, choked her unconscious and she woke up inside his vehicle.

    Rockland Police Sgt. Matthew Lindahl encountered 29-year-old Shane Hall of Portland around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, when he observed Hall's vehicle at Front and Main streets operating in an erratic manner. Lindahl activated his lights and attempted to stop the vehicle, but Hall refused to stop and a short chase ensued, according to Rockland police in a news release.

    During the pursuit, Rockland officers Alex Gaylor and Addison Cox assisted Lindahl, while officer Jacob Shirey positioned himself in a location to deploy a pursuit termination device, should the vehicle continue to flee.

    While traveling west on Pleasant Street, Hall lost control of his vehicle and it crashed. Hall attempted to flee the scene, according to police, but was apprehended by Gaylor and Cox.

    A female, who was a passenger in Hall's car, was attended to by Lindahl, and while he was talking with her, she told him that she had been walking home from work when Hall jumped from his vehicle wearing a ski mask, attacked her and choked her unconscious.

    "When the woman regained consciousness, she was in Hall's vehicle," said police in the news release. "The woman stated that she did not know Hall prior to the incident."

    As officers were pursuing Hall's vehicle, the victim was calling 911 and told dispatchers that she had been kidnapped. But because the events unfolded so rapidly, the information had not been provided to the officers prior to the crash, according to police.

    Police said that the victim's wallet and keys were later located at the scene where she said she was abducted. She was transported to Pen Bay Medical Center as a precautionary measure, they said.

    Hall is scheduled to make his initial appearance Friday in Knox County Unified Court in Rockland.

    Detective Sgt. Russell Thompson responded to the scene and is continuing the investigation.


    Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655.